Changes to LCS mission modules

[Sea Toby]

The LCS has had some problems with their mission modules packages, and The US Navy has recently moved to correct these problems...

The Raytheon Griffin missiles will replace the cancelled NS-LOS surface to surface missiles...

Raytheon’s Griffin Block IIB Is the Navy’s Choice for LCS | Defense Media Network

And from http://www.defpro.com/news/details/21687/?SID=4ad81625577426143fa22ad1427b2ab0

The plan for the mine warfare mission module initially consisted of nine distinct systems intended to find and neutralize sea mines. Now the Navy is thinking about simplifying the module by eliminating one system, the rapid airborne mine clearance system which was intended to destroy shallow water mines and using the airborne mine neutralization system to not only neutralize bottom mine but also shallow and surface mines.

These changes demonstrate the value of one of the LCS program’s fundamental conceptual principles: modularity. The equipment carried in the mission modules can be rapidly changed as new technology is developed or even if some critical piece of equipment breaks. As a result, the technology refresh and repair processes become relatively rapid and lower cost affairs.

 

[radar07]

These changes demonstrate the value of one of the LCS program’s fundamental conceptual principles: modularity. The equipment carried in the mission modules can be rapidly changed as new technology is developed or even if some critical piece of equipment breaks. As a result, the technology refresh and repair processes become relatively rapid and lower cost affairs.

i like this thinking. they eliminate one subsystem and replace another one with a system which is smaller and less capable and at the end they have proofed how useful modularity is.
i would call it useful if they show us a towed array sonar modul, a vls modul, etc.

 

[Systems Adict]

i like this thinking. they eliminate one subsystem and replace another one with a system which is smaller and less capable and at the end they have proofed how useful modularity is.
i would call it useful if they show us a towed array sonar modul, a vls modul, etc.

I watched this clip last week (it's about 1 hr long !!). It's from the SNA National Symposium & it's a presentation given by RADM Frank C. Pandolfe, Director, Surface Warfare, N86, OPNAV.

It details a WHOLE lot about the US surface fleet, but goes into great detail about LCS & the mission modules. (I even learned a few things !)

SWONET SNA National Symposium 2011

(The link takes u into a list of 'movie' clips, just look for the one with RADM Frank C. Pandolfe's name & picture on it & this title "Updating the Surface Navy Vision")

It might feel like a long hour, but it IS worth it !!

SA

P.S. BIG thanks to Galrahn & his Blog, for sharing this in the 1st place...

Information Dissemination: Littoral Combat Ship - The Status as of Now

 

[Sea Toby]

I watched this clip last week (it's about 1 hr long !!). It's from the SNA National Symposium & it's a presentation given by RADM Frank C. Pandolfe, Director, Surface Warfare, N86, OPNAV.

It details a WHOLE lot about the US surface fleet, but goes into great detail about LCS & the mission modules. (I even learned a few things !)

SWONET SNA National Symposium 2011

(The link takes u into a list of 'movie' clips, just look for the one with RADM Frank C. Pandolfe's name & picture on it & this title "Updating the Surface Navy Vision")

It might feel like a long hour, but it IS worth it !!

SA

P.S. BIG thanks to Galrahn & his Blog, for sharing this in the 1st place...

Information Dissemination: Littoral Combat Ship - The Status as of Now

When you watch this you begin to understand technology in the weapons systems are arriving faster than the life of new ships' hulls... A few decades ago some countries were designing ships for twenty years instead of thirty years... Due to budget pressures these ships lasted thirty years anyway, hopefully with weapons systems upgrades at their mid-life refits...

The US Navy has come to the conclusion to design ships with thirty years hull life with modular weapons systems which can be upgraded even quicker than waiting for extensive mid-life refits...

 

[alexsa]

When you watch this you begin to understand technology in the weapons systems are arriving faster than the life of new ships' hulls... A few decades ago some countries were designing ships for twenty years instead of thirty years... Due to budget pressures these ships lasted thirty years anyway, hopefully with weapons systems upgrades at their mid-life refits...

The US Navy has come to the conclusion to design ships with thirty years hull life with modular weapons systems which can be upgraded even quicker than waiting for extensive mid-life refits...

I am not convinced the LCS2 hull for will provide the 30 years if operated intesively. teh alloy light weight hull will take a battering and is likely to become maintenance intensive.

LCS1 is mild steel and am cannot comment with certainty on the life of the structure but again it is light weight so we may presume it may suffer fromt he same limitations.

 

[AegisFC]

I am not convinced the LCS2 hull for will provide the 30 years if operated intesively. teh alloy light weight hull will take a battering and is likely to become maintenance intensive.

LCS1 is mild steel and am cannot comment with certainty on the life of the structure but again it is light weight so we may presume it may suffer fromt he same limitations.

LCS-1 has a steel hull and the same aluminum used on LCS-2 is used on the superstructure. The Tico's and the Perries have aluminum cracking issues I wonder how bad the LCS's will be.

 

[Galrahn]

P.S. BIG thanks to Galrahn & his Blog, for sharing this in the 1st place...

No problem, props to Pandolfe for putting such a good brief together. I think it does a good job explaining what is coming together on the module side. I like that they are moving toward existing systems every time they run into issues, because I note it keeps costs down.

I'm still trying to track down cost updates and estimates, and hope to get it with FY12 budget materials.

The modules, not the platform, have always been the key to LCS. The focus on the platforms from the beginning has been the problem - all the focus and attention to the ship itself led to the poor design of the platforms - when it is the systems that have always matter most to the concept.

The Navy really screwed up LCS in that way, but as a generation one concept ship - I'll take it as long as they get the module engineering right and the C3I right - because on the platform that is all that has to be done right for LCS to succeed. Folks who think otherwise are looking at LCS and thinking its a frigate or corvette - it is neither.

 

[alexsa]

LCS-1 has a steel hull and the same aluminum used on LCS-2 is used on the superstructure. The Tico's and the Perries have aluminum cracking issues I wonder how bad the LCS's will be.

Even a steel hull if it is thin and stiffeners and frames are reduced in size and/or number to save on weight will suffer much more that a more strongly built hull. If it is built with high tensile steel (as I suspect is the case) such as HY80 then to save weight. As such it will be thin and quite strong for its thickness compared to mild steel but musch less maliabl. As such it much more prone to brittle fracture in high stress areas and if subject to continual hammering (i,e. extended high speed operation). Mild steel goes from elastic to plastic deformation while HT ofter goes from elastic to brittle failure.

Givne the hull will be quite thin to reduce weight and it is likley the supporting structure will also be pared down there is quite a risk stress hot spots and an increased risk of some sort of fracture and even structural failure. This would not necesarily be disasterous but would require on going attention and could impact operations if serious enough. Speed does have its consequences.

 

[Sea Toby]

I am not convinced the LCS2 hull for will provide the 30 years if operated intesively. teh alloy light weight hull will take a battering and is likely to become maintenance intensive.

LCS1 is mild steel and am cannot comment with certainty on the life of the structure but again it is light weight so we may presume it may suffer fromt he same limitations.

Probably so, I shall agree... But in every case in the past when ships were designed for twenty years, somehow they were SLEP-ed to get another ten years out of them... We will see how long they last eventually... The Navy may wish to build ships which last twenty years, but it appears the Congress still desires thirty years...